Marcello Militello

Artemisia arborescens L.: essential oil composition and effects of plant growth stage in some genotypes from Sicily

Essential oils from aerial parts of several Artemisia arborescens L. populations, collected in five different localities of Sicily, were analyzed by gas chromatograph–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) and GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) in order to study the chemical composition and its variability due to phenological stage. Forty-three compounds, accounting for more than 92% of the oil, were identified. Monoterpene fraction with the exception of Petru population was higher than the sesquiterpene fraction. β-Thujone (20.5–55.9%), chamazulene (15.2–49.4%), camphor (1.3–10.7%) and germacrene D (2.3–3.4%) were the main compounds. Chemical composition was influenced by phenological stage, with an increase in the monoterpene fraction at flowering stage; both in flowering and vegetative stages, the main compounds were always the oxygenated monoterpene β-thujone and the sesquiterpene hydrocarbon chamazulene.

Artemisia arborescens Essential Oil Composition, Enantiomeric Distribution, and Antimicrobial Activity from Different Wild Populations from the Mediterranean Area.

Aerial parts of Artemisia arborescens were collected from different sites of the Mediterranean area (southwestern Algeria and southern Italy) and the chemical composition of their essential oil (EO) extracted by hydrodistillation was studied by both gas chromatography (GC) equipped with an enantioselective capillary column and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The EOs obtained were tested against several Listeria monocytogenes strains. Using GC and GC/MS, 41 compounds were identified, accounting for 96.0 – 98.8% of the total EO. All EOs showed a similar terpene profile, which was rich in chamazulene, β‐thujone, and camphor. However, the concentration of such compounds varied among the EOs. A. arborescens EO inhibited up to 83.3% of the L. monocytogenes strains, but the inhibitory spectrum varied among the EOs, with those from Algeria showing a higher inhibition degree than the Italian EOs. Such effect likely depended on the ketone (β‐thujone + camphor) content of the EO. The differences in the EO composition support the hypothesis that A. arborescens has at least two different chemotypes: a β‐thujone and a chamazulene type. The EO inhibitory spectrum indicates the A. arborescens EO as a valuable option in the control of the food‐borne pathogens.

Manuale di agricoltura biologica in Sicilia.

Saia, S (coordinatore ed autore); Militello, M (coordinatore ed autore); Mirabella, M (editore); Carretta, F (autore); Gugliuzza, G (autore); Giovino, A (autore); Barbolini, R (autore); Oliveri, Y (autore); Massenti, R (autore); Alaimo di Loro, C (autore); Calanna, F.C. (autore); Lentini, S. (autore)